ECSEL JU Project TRANSFORM

Electrical energy is becoming the most important energy form on our way to a greener economy, and power electronics plays a dominant role in managing electricity to meet the fast-growing supply, transmission and end user demands. Silicon Carbide (SiC) based power electronics has the potential to use electrical energy significantly more efficient than current silicon-based semiconductors. TRANSFORM addresses the current and urgent needs for widespread adoption of SiC, while its ambitious goals are both of strategical and technical nature. 

TRANSFORM will provide European downstream market players with a reliable source of these important electronic components and systems, based on an entirely European silicon carbide value chain, ranging from substrate wafers to energy converters. The technical excellence achieved by the project based on the foundation of former ECSEL projects like ‘WinSiC4AP’ or ‘R3-PowerUP’ and will significantly strengthen the competitive position of European technology in the global market.  The project TRANSFORM will strongly improve current SiC technologies beyond the state-of-the-art to serve the large emerging markets for electric power conversion in renewable energies, mobility and industry. The project starts at the very beginning of the value-chain to bring radical innovation to the substrate manufacturing process, striving for nothing less than establishing a new global standard. Covering  smart-cut technology as basis for a high scalability and reliability wafers , over bleeding edge processing technology, novel device concepts and reliable systems,  in TRANSFROM substrate manufacturers, equipment manufacturers and technology providers cooperate to increase maturity of the new process from lab demonstration to pilot line availability. 

On top of contributing to all European societal goals, the main goal behind this project is paving a way to a green economy. TRANSFORM contributing to a climate neutral mobility in Europe, is a key element for decarbonization of our economy and therefore supports the European Green Deal project. The technology developed in TRANSFORM will enable a significant increase of electrical energy efficiency. The result is a competitive, ready-to-industrialize technology and thereby strengthens Europe’s position in the world and its technological sovereignty in this critical field. 

Last but not least, the silicon carbide market is just emerging. TRANSFORM can capture this market opportunity, obtain a competitive position and generate added value as well as highly qualified jobs in Europe.